NB if you arrived here from a Google search please go to our most recent posting on this story by going to the top of our websitehereand scrolling down. A joint local groups meeting of key representatives from concerned Acocks Green groups met on Wednesday 7 October to work out the details of their combined campaign to save these two fine Victorian houses in the heart of Acocks Green. A local developer has put in a proposal to demolish the houses. (See previous Flint Green Road posting for more details.) The campaign has already

been active in Arden Road, but has now been more formally launched with six local groups agreeing to support. They are Arden Road Residents Association, Flint Green Road Residents Association, Acocks Green Focus Group, Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum, Flint Green House and Birmingham City Mission. There is a proposal to demolish these two well built and charming Victorian properties in the middle of an area currently proposed as a Conservation Area and to replace by 11 modern 4 bedroomed houses. The meeting agreed unanimously that this would be bad for the area on two main counts: it would damage the appearance and character of the area. It would more dangerous traffic on the road, at a busy junction. Councillor Roger Harmer, from Acocks Green Ward, also attended the meeting and has agreed to be actively involved.

The meeting was heartened by recent comments on the properties from Birmingham City Council Conservation Department. They note that

‘This scheme is undoubtedly a retrograde step both in terms of the loss of these buildings and the design of the proposed [replacement] dwellings […

[…] With regard to the design of the new dwellings […] there is a distinct character (with very few exceptions to the existing properties in Flint Green Road and Arden Road. The proposed scheme would be extremely incongrous in terms of scale, massing, form and detailed design and would not contribute positively to the street scene. ‘

BCC Conservation are recommending that the application be refused. However, this is not the end of the story. The application still has to be formally considered by planning officers and, almost certainly (because it is controversial) by the Planning Committee. The planning process takes comments from members of the public into consideration. If you wish to support local residents and the Conservation Department, you may send your own comments to the planning officer concerned, [email protected] (Remember Mr Howell is a council officer, he processes the proposals. He does not make them!) Alternatively you can write to Planning Managment, 11th Floor, Alpha Tower, Suffolk Street Queensway, Birmingham, B1 1TU. Don’t forget to quote the Planning Application Number, which is 2009/0432/PA

For more details, and our Flikr file of photos, scroll down to see our previous posting on 42-44.

Comments from nearby residents, would be particularly welcome.

However, Conservation do not make the decisions. They can (and are) recommending refusal, but the application still has to go through the formal processes of consideration by planning officers, and the Planning Committee. You can, however, support Acocks Green residents, and BCC Conservation, by writing to [email protected] (The planning officer handling the application) or to Planning Management, 11th Floor, Alpha Tower, Suffolk Street, Queensway, Birmingham, B1 1TU. If you decide to write, don’t forget to quote the Planning Application Number which is 2009/04327/PA. We will continue to post on this story.

I have just walked up and viewed these houses myself for the first time, considering I’ve lived in Acocks Green since 1994 that’s a bit remiss. They are very smart. I would love to live in one if I could do it up!

Would love to buy this house and restore it to its former glory, i have lived in acocks green for 20 years and have always walked passed this house hoping i could live in it. will be popping down to the auction to see if im lucky.

Don’t live in Acocks Green myself but stumbled across these properties completely by accident. They are so beautiful and I would adore to buy one and set about restoring it. Unfortunately the guide price would be about all I would be able to afford, and I would imagine with development someone will be able to pay much more than that. Breaks my heart to think someone will just come along and destroy them 🙁

Yes, indeed. Sorry that you have been disappointed, because we know you wanted to buy for a family home. Acocks Green people are just digesting this news which has just been starting to circulate at the end of this week. John Shepherd’s, the auctioneers, have said that the house is going to a ‘building consortium’. There will be a posting on this shortly.

I can’t believe these charming Victorian buildings could be knocked down by developers as I would love to live in a propery of this nature – if you are lucky to find any as the answer for all these so called developers is to knock everything down and for a bit of profit – ” Shame on you”.
Now, hearing that someone that someone has recently bought them, I hope you do the right thing and keep them as a piece of Acocks Green’s History, loved and admired by all.

Yes, agreed it was hard to believe that anyone could want to knock these properities down. It was a great relief to be told that the houses were to be ‘family homes’. We now watching developments and hope that the houses will stay intact.

This message is probably far too late but I must say how beautiful the houses are.
I want to recreate a porch like that at No 44 at our early Edwardian house in Ashby de la Zouch, hence my stumbling across your website.
The design is spectacular and will be the basis of the design at our home.
it would be a tradegy if these houses were demolished (hope that they are still there today). Anyway the design will live on albeit possibly not in Brum

This is fascinating. Thanks for letting us know. I think we’d all love to see a photo of the finished porch. The original is still there, and I will be adding a post to the website on latest developments later, but we are still keeping an eye.